


Beautiful

by oblouvion



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Child Abuse, Eventual Relationships, Howard Stark is an asshole, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt Tony Stark, Jarvis is a saint, Kid Tony Stark, M/M, Multi, Oblivious Tony, Rhodey Is a Good Bro, Slow Build, Steve and Bucky love Tony to death, They just don't know how to tell him, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony loves the word beautiful, Tony-centric, seriously
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-19 11:48:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8205418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oblouvion/pseuds/oblouvion
Summary: The various times in Tony's life in which the word beautiful played a part.





	1. 6

Six-year-old Tony grinned brightly, holding up the paper he was clutching in his small hands. The blank space had been filled up with shades of gray and black, all coming together to show a clear picture of a car's engine. Of course, there were some modifications, seeing as Tony's imagination seemed to never stop running wild with new ideas. His latest idea was to add different types of pumps into the engine that would make it faster, almost as if it were flying. However, he hadn't quite figured out how to fly a car. One day he'd get it.

Tossing the black crayon onto the desk, Tony pushed his chair back in a haste, jumping when it toppled back with a loud bang. He disregarded the furniture and went to the door. Rising up onto his tiptoes, he twisted the knob and heaved the heavy wood open.

"Mom!" Tony called into the hallway as he slipped out, wanting to show her his newest creation. He padded quickly down the corridor to his parent's bedroom and found the maid tucking and folding the sheets in, making the bed up properly. Spinning around, he headed back the way he came and poked his head into several rooms on his journey, frowning when none held his person of interest.

"Can I assist you, Sir?" Jarvis asked as he watched the small child wander from room to room.

"Do you know where Mom is?" he questioned as he came out of the bathroom, catching sight of the butler coming towards him from the opposite end of the hallway.

"Right this way. What have you got there?" The butler motioned to the paper in the boy's hand as the two walked side-by-side. Tony lifted the paper up for the butler to see, earning a smile and wink in return. "That's rather impressive, Sir," Jarvis ruffled the young boy's hair affectionately, Tony preening at the attention. The boy knew Jarvis would always tell him his work was good, but it was still nice to hear it.

"I thought so. I added cool new hydro pumps that would make the car go faster, I think. Dad would probably know," the boy shrugged, tilting the picture side-to-side to get it from all angles. It was probably the best engine he's ever drawn before.

The rest of their walk was in silence as they went downstairs and into the kitchen to find Maria flipping through a cookbook, mumbling under her breath to herself.

Jarvis was quickly forgotten as Tony ran to his mother, thrusting his drawing into her hands, grinning brightly up at her. "Look what I drew!" he boasted, puffing out his chest a little, his pride shining through his smile.

"Well! What have we here?" Maria looked over the artwork and crouched down to be at her son's level, wrapping an arm around him. "My, this is wonderful. Beautiful, really," she tickled his side, his giggles making her laugh lightly. "Let's hang it on the fridge, shall we?"

"Yes!" Tony cheered, hopping up and down, snatching the paper from her hands. He wiggled out of her grip and went to the large appliance, carefully looking over the magnets it held. "I want that one," he pointed to the magnet of an atom because science was his favorite subject in school at the time. Maria handed it to him and he hung his masterpiece up, standing back to admire it in all its glory. It looked incredible if Tony did say so himself.

"Beautiful," his mother noted again, running a hand through his dark hair, messing it up just as Jarvis had.

"Does beautiful mean cute, Momma?" Tony turned around to look at her, seeing she had already gone back to fussing over the cookbook, flipping back and forth between pages.

"Hm, dear?"

"What does beautiful mean?"

Maria looked back to Tony and hummed. "Come here," she beckoned, before helping her son up onto one of the stools that sat beside her. "Beautiful can mean many things, honey. It's a perfection, of sorts. Your picture, for instance, is beautiful because it diagrams an engine so well. Do you understand?"

Tony frowned. Did he understand that?

"So beautiful is perfection?"

"Sort of. It also means pleasing to the senses or mind."

"I think I get it," Tony confirmed, nodding his head in affirmation. Catching sight of the recipes his mother was flipping through, he became interested. He made grabby hands at the book and started looking for something good to cook. "Ooh! Mom, can we make these? Please?" His slightly chubby fingers pointed to a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, his bottom lip pushed out, pleading eyes directed at his mother.

"Well, I suppose," she teased and Tony grinned, setting out to help his mother start making the cookies.

.~.~.

"Anthony!" Tony heard his father calling his name from downstairs. Quickly, he abandoned the model car he was putting together. Lately, Howard was in a bad mood and got angry if Tony didn't listen to him, or did the simplest thing wrong. He was grounded to his room for a whole day the previous week for leaving his toys in Howard's lab. Other times he hadn't really cared, just told Tony to take them to a different room, because his work was important. He wasn't sure what was causing his father to act as he was lately.

Bounding down the steps, he skidded to a stop in the entrance of the kitchen.

"Yes, Dad?" he asked, coming further into the room, seeing his father facing the fridge.

"What is this?" Howard turned around with the drawing of the engine in his hand, a questioning yet dangerous look on his face. The young boy gulped.

"It's- it's a drawing of an engine," Tony answered quietly, yet hopefully, wondering if his dad was just messing around. Howard never joked, but Tony thought that maybe he could be for once.

"It's garbage, is what it is," he sneered, looking back to the picture, shaking his head. Tony's heart dropped, his bottom lip quivering slightly. His father had disapproved of his previous drawings that weren't realistic but never had he called his designs garbage. He went closer, reaching for the artwork.

"Can I please have it?" The young boy sniffled, eyes already beginning to water. Howard hated when he cried, so he tried forcing himself not to. "I'll fix it. Just let me take it." He could smell a reeking odor coming from his father, his nose scrunching at the bitterness of it. It smelled the same as the brown liquid that Howard kept hidden in the lab. Tony thought he remembered the contents to be called alcohol.

Howard pushed his son away roughly, earning a yelp from the six-year-old as he landed hard on his bottom. With a fixed stare on the figure on the floor, the elder held the paper firmly in both hands and tore it in half, repeating the action until it was nothing but a pile of scraps. Tears spilled down Tony's red cheeks, watching as his supposed father figure let the scraps fall from his hands and walked out of the room without another word.

Quickly, he lurched forward and gathered the small fragments from where they littered the floor. All pieces collected, Tony made his way back to his room, sniffling the whole way. It must not have been beautiful enough for Howard if he destroyed it like that.

It may have been the first time Tony ever knew what beautiful meant, but he thought that he might already hate the word. He also hated alcohol. He might have also hated his father after that.

Maria found Tony a few hours later curled up on the floor, asleep, his picture reassembled and taped back together.


	2. 7

Tony laid on his stomach, legs bent back behind him, kicking casually. His curious eyes were focused intently on his newest train set he got for his seventh birthday. The model was a fairly newer version that puffed out smoke and had working lights, as well as a loud whistle. 

Each time it passed by him, he'd push the button that let out the train's whistle which sent him into a fit of giggles. This had gone on for nearly the whole afternoon, Tony set up in his mother's den. He was perfectly content being occupied by the same toy all day. That was until those around him couldn't handle it any longer.

"Tony, dear, could you please go find something else to play with?" Maria asked from her desk, turning around to look at him. She grabbed a few papers from a pile beside her and held them out as a gesture for the boy to take them. "Here, go create something. I just need some quiet so that I can finish my work. Alright?"

Tony sighed and nodded, pushing himself up. He switched off the train and stood, going to his mother and retrieving the outstretched papers. His mother pulled him in for a quick hug and kiss on the head before shooing him out of the room.

With no train set to keep his busy mind occupied, he wandered into the kitchen in search of a snack. Upon entering, he found Jarvis. "Is Howard home?" he asked. During the last year, his father had made it very clear that Tony was no longer to call him dad, but rather by his name. He insisted that's how men acted and he was expected to behave the same. It didn't make much sense to the little boy, but he went along with it out of fear of punishment.

"No, Sir. He's gone out for the day," the butler responded and gave the young genius a knowing smile. Tony grinned and quickly left the kitchen, hunger forgotten. Whenever his dad left, he would sneak down to the lab and tinker around with the different tools.

The lights flickered slightly as Tony turned them on, revealing all of the latest tech that Howard was creating or updating. The boy walked around the different tables, looking for some inspiration. Today, he was going to build something. 

A piece of scrap metal caught Tony's attention and he snagged it, doing the same to similar pieces scattered around. Once he had collected enough to actually create something, he hummed to himself as he sketched out a random design for a robot. Many of his toys were loud and distracting, so he was going to make one that wasn't. Plus, it would be by his own hand. That would make it even better.

After he felt satisfied with the look of the robot, Tony picked which pieces would fit where, laying them out on the surface of the table. Even at seven-years-old, Tony knew how to work a welder tool. The perks of having a crazy dad and a great mind, he supposed. 

Tony muttered to himself softly, a trait he picked up from his father. 

"Oh, wait, mask," he exclaimed aloud and hopped down from the stool, quickly going to the growing collection of safety equipment. Tony picked a random welder's mask and went back to his project. With careful precision, he welded piece after piece together, the little robot slowly taking form. After an hour or so, he finally set the tool down, flipping the mask up.

His final creation was a robot that had a small base on which it sat, circular in shape. From the base was a long arm that bent downwards about halfway up. The whole thing was secured on wheels. Tony loved it.

Abandoning the lab, he cradled the small toy in his hands. On his trip through the house, he bumped into Jarvis, nearly dropping the robot.

"Oh, sorry. I was focusing on not dropping this," Tony apologized but lifted up his creation for the butler to see. Jarvis extended a hand and the boy gave it to him, holding his breath in silence as his piece was examined. 

"Did you make this yourself?" Jarvis inquired, glancing down to the young Stark, raising a brow in question. Tony nodded quickly, smiling.

"Yes, I did. What do you think?"

"I think it's quite beautiful, Sir," the butler responded and handed back the robot. 

Tony's grin widened, throwing his free arm around Jarvis' leg. "Thank you, J," he said earnestly, holding his grip a little longer before letting go.

"You're welcome. Does it have a name?"

"Not yet. I haven't thought of one."

"Well, when you do, find me. We can paint it on there together, then polish it up. Does that sound alright, Sir?"

Tony felt like his smile would never fade, giving the butler another tight hug. "That sounds great. Thanks, J."

Jarvis smiled lightly, "Anytime, Sir. Now, if you'll excuse me." And off he went to attend to his butler duties, which Tony wasn't quite sure what those were.

Anyways, he had a name to think of for his robot.

.~.~.

Tony hurried down the hallway to the staircase the next day, robot toy in hand, searching for Jarvis. He finally thought of a name to give the robot, but wanted a second opinion. Also, even if the butler didn't like the name, he was going to use it. Tony wanted to get started on painting and polishing, just as Jarvis had promised.

"Jarvis?" he called as he skidded down the steps, nearly tripping over his own feet multiple times. The robot remained secure against his chest the whole way down. It was, after all, the most important part of his mission.

"In here, Sir," Tony heard the familiar British accent come from the dining area. His socks slid over the surface of the wood as he went to the room that held the butler.

"I finally figured out a name fo-," he began as he walked into the room, but stopped mid-sentence upon seeing his father. Howard was facing him, an annoyed look already on his face. This couldn't be good.

Jarvis looked to the young boy, giving him an almost sad smile that Howard couldn't see. "We were just discussing the matter of some missing materials from your father's lab," he informed Tony, pursing his lips.

"What's that?" Howard snapped after spotting the robot in the boy's hand, striding forward and snatching the toy from him. He protested, jumping up to try and grab the metal contraption from the elder's grip. It resulted in a hard shove against his shoulder. Tony stood back, silently praying that he wouldn't get in trouble.

"Please, it's mine," the seven-year-old sniffled, still struggling to keep his tears under control. He watched as his father looked over the robot. It seemed like hours later when Howard finally turned his attention back to his son.

"You made this piece of shit out of my materials?" Howard's voice thundered throughout the room, making Tony shrink back against the wall. This only seemed to irk the man more as he lurched forward and grabbed the boy's shirt, pulling him closer. "Answer me, Anthony," his voice was dangerously low.

"Y-yes," he sobbed, unable to keep the tears at bay any longer. His shirt was released, followed by a solid smack across the cheek that sent him tumbling to the floor. Tony held his face in his hands, peeking out long enough to watch Howard dash his toy to the floor and stomp on it repeatedly. He left after it was in several pieces at Tony's feet.

Tony sat silently in shock, one hand clutching his cheek, the other holding a piece of the robot's arm. More tears tumbled down his cheek. He jumped violently when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder, looking up to see Jarvis. 

"I'm sorry, Sir," the butler said softly, sitting beside the young genius, pulling him carefully into his side. The two sat by one another for several minutes, giving Tony time to collect himself. Jarvis helped him stand when he was ready to move. Together they picked up the rest of the pieces and tossed them in the garbage. "It was beautiful," the man tried to tell the boy, but without another word, Tony went to his room.

.~.~.

The next day, when his mother asked about the mark on his cheek, he lied and said he tripped. That he clipped the side of his desk when he was playing. It was only an accident. Across the table, he watched Howard smirk behind his glass of liquor.

Tony decided in that moment that he hated his father and that beauty was only meant for anything truly beautiful.


	3. 10

"Why must you continue to disappoint me, Anthony?" Howard mumbled from his spot at his desk, a glass of whiskey in one hand and the entire bottle in the other. His gaze was directed at the invention Tony had presented him with, still hoping for his father's approval after countless years of rejection. He didn't know why he still tried.

"How is it disappointing? I'd say it's rather good," he argued, crossing his arms over his chest. The object that sat in front of Howard was a smaller version of a car's engine, which Tony had built completely on his own. He didn't ask for any advice from Howard, nor any of his materials. Everything was his own blood, sweat, and tears.

Howard rolled his eyes and sat back in the large office chair, pouring himself another glass of alcohol. It must have been the fourth one he'd had since Tony set foot in the man's office. All he ever did lately was drink, which made him an asshole. Tony hated it. "I can see parts are not in their correct spots just from a glance. Honestly, if you didn't look so much like me, I'd say you weren't my kid. You're an idiot," he sneered.

"And you're a drunken asshole," Tony shot back instantly, blood boiling. He was so sick of Howard tearing him down, along with his work. If he just stood up to him, he'd learn.

The older man laughed and stood up, discarding the bottle of liquor on the desk. "Get out of my sight, you pathetic excuse for a child. I should have given you up for adoption the second you were born," Howard dismissed him, twisting the glass carefully between his hands.

"I wish you would have. Then I wouldn't have to deal with you," the ten-year-old replied, pointing an accusing finger at his father. Howard slammed down the glass and took two long strides before he was in front of Tony.

"You're a waste of my time, boy," he growled and gripped Tony's bicep tightly, which was sure to leave bruises. He whipped Tony around and yanked him towards the door. Forcefully, he pulled open the wood and tossed Tony out into the hallway. His still-frail body collided with the wall opposite the door before he dropped to the floor.

Tony howled in pain, faced pressed against the carpet, clutching the arm that took the brunt of the impact. Howard left the door open as he retrieved the model engine from his desk and dropped it in front of Tony. With a slam, the door separated the two.

Jarvis found the young boy a little while later, still in the hallway. Tony was sniffling softly with his right arm cradled against his stomach. The hand on his good arm was tracing absentmindedly over his creation. Upon seeing Jarvis, he sat up a little straighter, wincing as it jostled his arm. "I think my arm is broken," he whispered tiredly.

The butler sighed to himself, kneeling down to Tony's level to get a look at his arm. "Mind me asking how this occurred?" Jarvis asked out of courtesy, but already had the answer to his question. He knew that Tony had too many unexplained injuries and bruises and that Howard drank too much. Several people had called the police to investigate, but they always left without a trace of evidence.

"Tripped with the engine. It's pretty heavy, so when it landed on my arm, I think it broke something," Tony lied easily through his teeth, avoiding the look Jarvis was giving him. He knew he'd break. It was hard enough lying to one of the only people who cared about him.

"Yes, of course, Sir," Jarvis agreed, not wanting to call him out on his obvious lie. "I'll get the car and call the doctor. Please wait by the door," he instructed before picking up Tony's model engine.

Tony obeyed and went to get his shoes on.

.~.~.

Maria sat beside Tony on his bed; the side with the good arm. Her arm was wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him into her side. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said brokenly, pressing a kiss against the top of his head. 

His mother knew that Howard was a drunken bastard. She knew that he hurt their son. However, Tony knew why she didn't divorce him and leave. Howard was all Maria had left.

"It's alright, Mom," he assured her, pulling back to give her a tight-lipped smile. He lifted his right arm that was now secure in a cast, heavy and abnormal. "I'll just have to learn to work one-handed," Tony tried to make the tone lighter by making a joke out of it. Humor was the best defense, he had discovered.

"Yes, that's right. Nothing can stop my little genius," Maria smiled as she stood, going to pick up the engine from where it sat on Tony's desk. "So, you made this all by yourself? Is that why you wouldn't come to dinner the other night?"

Tony nodded, laughing lightly, "I wanted to finish it. What do you think of it?" 

"I think it's beautiful," she told him, setting it down after. 

"C'mon, Mom. It's not," he sighed, shaking his head. It was just a hunk of metal. There was nothing beautiful about it.

Maria gave him a stern look. "It's beautiful, just as all your other inventions are."

"You have to say that because you're my mother," Tony argued.

"I don't, actually. If I didn't like, I'd tell you, but I do. I love your work. Understand?"

"I understand," Tony laughed, giving his mother a hug. "Thanks for being a great mom," he told her. Maria squeezed him tighter on that before releasing him.

She went back to the desk and retrieved the motor. "We're keeping this, no matter what," she told him firmly as she went to his closet. Inside, she dug around for awhile before finding a box large enough to store it in. Maria sealed it and wrote 'Tony's beautiful first engine' on the top of the box. With that, she pushed it to the back corner of the closet. "There, safe and secure."

Tony grinned at his mother. Maybe it was kind of beautiful, in its own way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying, really, but as you can tell, I don't write often.


	4. 15

"Do that again and you will cease to exist," Tony pointed a wrench accusingly at his lab partner, Dum-E. The robot whirred in a disapproving manner, his arm swinging from left to right and knocking more of the genius' tools on the floor. They clattered loudly against the surface of the wood.

"You're a nuisance. Why do I put up with you?" he sighed exasperatedly but smiled when the robot rolled closer to him. Tony patted its arm lovingly and then went back to work.

The two were working on one of Tony's projects for one of the various classes he was taking at MIT, already in his second year. His work was often discredited by the professors who thought a fifteen-year-old couldn't do what he did. He only shrugged and continued to create because it was the best thing his mind could do.

"Bring me the Phillips," Tony told the robot, which in turn beeped and went to dig through the pile under the table for the requested tool. They worked like this for several hours, time easily slipping by. This was the young Stark's natural habitat. He got lost so easily in his work that a whole day could pass by and he'd be none the wiser.

Rhodey came back to their shared apartment late that night. "Tones?" he called out, going to what Tony called his lab that was set up in a spare room. Upon entering, he found Dum-E picking up tools that scattered the floor. His creator was passed out, slumped over the table he had been working at. Off to the side was something large, covered by a sheet. Sighing, he crossed the room to his best friend, shaking him.

"I'm awake," Tony sat up instantly, eyes still closed. His body was leaning heavily into Rhodes' as his head dropped down before he jerked it back up.

"Sure you are. C'mon, let's go," he hauled his friend to his feet and dragged him to his room, flopping him onto the mattress. "Under the covers, please," James said patiently, yanking the blanket out from underneath Tony when he rolled off of them. He laid the comforter out and flipped off the lights. "Goodnight."

Tony mumbled something inaudible before he was sound asleep.

.~.~.

"What do we have today, Stark? Another brilliant idea that is sure to fail?" the professor sighed as Tony rolled his invention in for his presentation, letting it rest in front of the room.

"I guess we'll see," he shrugged and stood in front of the class, waiting for everyone to get settled in before he started in on explaining his newest robotic. 

"Now, he may not look like much, but he is very impressive," Tony told his fellow peers before pulling off the sheet that covered it, reveling in the collective 'oohs' and 'aahs' that sounded. "This is You. He's based on another bot I have, but a little more intelligent."

Tony smirked as he glanced to the professor, who looked ticked that everyone was marveling at what he created. "What does it do?" the man barked, crossing his arms over his chest, waiting to be impressed. 

On cue, the bot hummed to life and lifted it's arm, moving it in a waving motion. "I mainly use my bots as my lab assistants, but I'm sure with proper upgrades, they could do much more. The other bot makes smoothies, but I tend not to drink them because I think he's conspiring to kill me. I watched him pour motor oil in the blender once," Tony chuckled, patting U on the arm, the other students laughing with him. "Any questions?"

Several hands shot in the air and Tony called on them one after the other, answering their inquiries about his process of making it and what parts he used, watching them take notes on what he said. He knew that many of them had troubles getting started on their projects, so he didn't mind sparing some intellect.

Their questions lasted until the end of the class period, which Tony didn't mind because he was just as curious as they were. A few approached him as they were leaving, shaking his hand and telling him U was fascinating.

"It's very beautiful," one girl commented, smiling as the robot extended its arm out to her.

"He's mediocre, at best. I could probably do better," Tony laughed as U beeped indignantly, turning away from him when he tried to console him. "He's very sensitive."

"I can tell. It really is a beautiful work of robotics, Tony. You should be proud of your work," she patted his hand and left the room, leaving him alone with U and the professor.

Tony started packing up his bot and gathered his belongings, getting ready to leave. "Stark," the professor called after him. Tony sighed, stopping at the door and turning to the other man. "Nice job," he nodded before packing up his papers and planners. The genius smiled to himself and continued out the door.

"Hear that, You? You're beautiful. Even the professor approved."

.~.~.

"Rhodey! I got a perfect on my robotics project!" Tony called into the apartment as he entered. He quickly located his friend in the kitchen and shoved the paper he was holding in James' face. "Look!"

Taking the paper, Rhodey read over his scores and the comments from the professor, smiling when he turned to his friend. "That's awesome, Tones. I told you that you'd do great with that beautiful mind of yours," he pulled the younger man in for a hug, not minding when Tony clung on a little longer than normal.

"Time to celebrate?" Tony asked hopefully as he pulled away, looking at his friend with pleading eyes. 

"Yeah, yeah, alright," he sighed fondly, ruffling Tony's hair. "But only for a little bit!" James' called after the other man as he quickly went to change.

"Of course, Pumpkin!" Tony yelled back, grinning widely.


	5. 21

Tony busied himself with the new schematics for his latest idea of an artificial intelligence system, holed up in his lab. This project was going on two years already. Normally, he'd be done with a project in that amount of time, but he wanted it to be exactly right. If it took longer than it usually would, he was okay with that. You couldn't rush perfection.

A loud grating sound, followed by the sound of broken glass falling to the ground interrupted the genius' train of thought. Spinning around in his chair, he spotted shards from the blender covering the floor, along with its contents. He gave his bot a pointed look. "Dum-E, I will scrap you if you break the blender one more time. You can't put tools in it," Tony sighed, standing. "Clean this up," he gave the bot a mop and collected his tools.

Walking to the sink that was in his lab, Tony began cleaning up his tools, not wanting them to get sticky or rusted. He hummed along with the music that was playing in the background until it cut off mid-song. "Dum-E," Tony chastised, turning around. He excepted the bot to be there but instead found his best friend. "Rhodey!"

"Hi, Tones," James waved, opening his arms as Tony came closer for a hug. It was brief, but it put a smile on each of their faces.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Tony asked as they separated, grabbing a rag from his workstation and drying off the tools. 

Rhodey sighed audibly, pursing his lips. "Tony," he said softly, waiting to get the other man's attention.

"What?" he looked up from what he was doing, stopping when he saw the shift in Rhodes' emotions. It looked as if someone killed his puppy. Tony's mind raced. What had happened? He swore it wasn't him, whatever it was. He'd been good lately... or as good as he would ever get.

"Have you seen the news?"

"No, I've been busy in here all day. What is it?" Tony's brows furrowed, digging around the piles of clutter on his table, searching for the remote. He pulled it out from under a stack of papers, flipping on the television that sat in the corner of the room. The first thing that he saw was the headline: "NATION MOURNS PASSING OF HUSBAND AND WIFE." A picture of Tony's parents flashed across the scene. "This can't be. I just saw my mom yesterday."

James moved closer to his friend, resting a hand gently on his shoulder. "Ton-," he started, but stopped abruptly as Tony stood, shoving his hand off.

"She can't be dead. This isn't real," Tony whispered, eyes wide as he looked to Rhodey. "Please, tell me it's not true," his lips quivered, tears already forming in the corners of his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Tony," Rhodes spoke softly, keeping the other man cornered so that he couldn't run. He knew that if he had the chance, he would, and it would only do more damage than good. "I just got the call this morning. Car accident late last night."

Tony's shoulders shook as a sob rocked through him, his hands gripping the edge of the work table tightly, his knuckles going white. "No, no, no," he murmured to himself, sinking to the floor. He clutched his head in his hands, his knees pressing against his chest, his heart feeling like it was trying to rip itself out of his chest.

Rhodey lowered himself to the ground beside his friend, pulling him against his side. Tony turned into him, letting his emotions rage on, blubbering incoherently. The two sat like this for what felt like several hours until Tony had no tears left in him to be shed. It wasn't until the genius passed out did Rhodey move, bringing him to bed.

.~.~.

Tony remained seated as the masses of people around him began to move slowly towards their cars, a quiet murmur of conversation filling the morning air. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, clutched hands pressed against his lips. Tears filled his eyes and ran down his cheeks, but he paid them no mind. Not when he was looking at the scene of two coffins being slowly lowered into the cold, damp ground.

"I'm so sorry, Mom," he whispered softly, closing his eyes. His lips trembled as he took in a deep breath, bowing his head. He continued to sit in silence, trying to keep his focus on not crying. It wasn't proving effective, but he could try. Couldn't let everyone know he was a massive baby. Howard would have thrown a fit if he was here. Oh, wait, he was. Sinking into the deep grave in front of Tony.

"Are you alright, dear?" an unfamiliar voice sounded from beside him. Tony lifted his head, looking at the woman that had sat beside him. He was unsure of who she was, never having seen her before. Their family did tend to stay inside the mansion and hardly any relatives visited. Maria had said that most of her family hated Howard, but tolerated him for her sake and his money. Tony didn't blame them. He did the same in time.

"Obviously not," he muttered, directing his attention back to the graves of his parents. The woman continued to sit there, annoying Tony to no end. Couldn't she just leave him alone to grieve in peace?

"It was a beautiful ceremony," she finally said after several minutes, also looking at the burial site. Tony felt a flash of rage flood through him. How dare she even use that word for such a horrible thing like this? Did she even care how she threw her words around?

Standing quickly, he turned to the woman to address her. "There is nothing beautiful about watching my mother being lowered into the ground," he spat, giving the woman a deadly look. She huffed before shuffling off quickly, leaving him alone.

Just as quickly as the anger came, it slipped away and Tony was left feeling drained. He dropped back into his chair, brushing away the stray tears that remained on his blotchy cheeks. His eyes drifted towards the headstone his parents had picked out and stayed there, reading over their names and the date of their deaths. It seemed that the others got the memo because no one bothered him until he was ready to leave.

Tony found Rhodey standing by the car, waiting for him, knowing that he needed that time alone. His friend was such a blessing. "I know you're not supposed to give alcohol to those grieving, but it looks like you need a drink," James gave him a small smile, sliding into the seat of the car beside him.

"You bet your ass I do," Tony sniffled, the corners of his lips quirking up slightly before falling back down. He rested his head against his friend's shoulder, eyes slipping shut. The rest of the ride home was quiet.

.~.~.

After Maria's death, Tony lost himself for a while. Alcohol became his best friend, right next to Rhodey. He sought after women and men alike merely as a form of distraction. All of his projects continued to get pushed back. Howard's death meant that Tony would inherit the company at the young age of 21, hardly having lived before he was expected to run an empire. He mainly left that to Obadiah Stane because he knew what he was doing, which he assured Tony every time they saw one another. The man got on the genius' nerves, but he tolerated him for the sake of the company.

It wasn't until Rhodey finally snapped on him did he realize that he had to get a grip. Liquor was still consumed by the bottle, but he got back into his work. It wasn't for another few years until Tony was able to finish JARVIS. (Yes, he named his first AI after his former butler. Sue him. The man raised Tony. This was the only way he could honor him properly.)

He didn't find many things beautiful, especially after his mother's death, but maybe JARVIS was an exception. No, he definitely was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, was stuck on this chapter for awhile. 
> 
> Also, if there are any bits that are missing, I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing, honestly.


End file.
